March

The math teacher at Kanjiwa making a poster for his class.

A student waiting for his Malawi State Certificate Examination (MSCE) results.

students playing soccer on a muddy field

This is Grant, who teaches Biology, Geology and Bible Knowledge.  He's smart, articulate, funny, supportive and perceptive and probably the person I'm closest to in Kamsonga.  

This is the school secretary sitting by the second-hand computer that the school just purchased.  They are trying to fix their larger generator or get solar panels so that they can use it. 

Kanjiwa's library. 



Ngombe (cow) road that leads to my site.

A guard in front of the Peace Corps Malawi office in Lilongwe.

One of my favorite places to relax in Lilongwe - Bohemian Cafe. It's in the same space as Land and Lakes Safaris - the company my parents and I are using to go on a safari to Zambia next month!

This is Isaac.  He's one of my students and is looking for an American pen pal.  Here is his introduction letter.  Please let me know if you are willing to be his pen pal.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a boy of twenty years of age.  I come from Chikuse village here in Ntchisi district.  I am in form four to complete my secondary school education.  I would like you to be my pen pal.  I will be very happy if my request will meet you in time.

Now are the questions that I have in my mind concerning your country.  What is your staple food in America?  Where is your homeland in America?  Lastly, here in Malawi people believe in one God.  What about in America?

Finally, I would like to know more about your life.  How are you?  I am very well here in Malawi.  I will be very happy if you are fine.

Yours Faithfully,

Tadala Lodwell Isaac



February

Jen and Sean.  They are Peace Corps volunteers who also live in Ntchisi and I visited them at their house in February.  This is a bouquet that a neighbor girl made for them. 

Sean is an amazing cook.  This is one of the things he made for us while I was visiting: omelets topped with homemade dill and garlic mayonaise and sauteed potatoes, beets and carrots. 

Jen and Sean's house

Sean and Jen have a chicken with chicks and they made this sign for the door to where they roost.

This is the health center that Jen and Sean live right next to. 

Some of the girls from Jen's girls group at a secondary school a few kilometers away from her house.  We rode our bikes there so I could lead a presentation on sexual decision making.



The girls group with a demonstration penis and male and female condoms.

This is at Kanjiwa Community Day Secondary School, where I teach Life Skills.  The teachers constructed a hand washing station.  I donated some soap.

This is Charles.  He's one of my students.

This is Dalitso.  She is one of my students.



January

This is Rachel, a friend and fellow PCV, with some of her students.  She teaches math at a community day secondary school in southern Malawi (Zomba).  I visited her and led sessions with her students about sexual decision making. 

Rachel's school (St. Bridgit's Community Day Secondary School)



Rachel's house.

Rachel's site.

The penis model that I use for condom demonstations.

Friends and Peace Corps Volunteers, Dana and Cassie, at Cassie's house.  She lives in Lilongwe district and I visit her sometimes.

Nala!!!

My table at home with chickpeas, sunglasses, sunscreen, cell phone, tape.

some of my students

December

The counsellors at Peace Corps' Camp Women 2 Women - a girls' empowerment camp.  The camp was a week long in December.  It was held at a school in Mzimba - a district in the northern region of Malawi. 

My group of Women 2 Women campers - the "Cool Cats."

all the Women to Women campers

I spent Christmas in Lilongwe with 12 other Peace Corps Volunteers.  This was our Christmas tree with "Dirty Santa" gifts.

Christmas wreath made by my niece on our door. 

 Sean and Carolyn.  Sean did most of the cooking and we all helped with chopping and cleaning.

Christmas breakfast - oatmeal cinnamin pancakes and fruit salad!

chopping avocados for guacamole

more PCV friends preparing for Christmas dinner

November

Nala!  She's my baby.  Here is her song:

I love my Nala, oh yes I do.

I love my Nala 'cause she's so cute.

She's the cutest doggie in Kamsonga. 

I'm right about that; I am not wronga.

She's the cutest doggie in the region.

If I could feed them I'd have a legion.

She's the cutest doggie in Malawi.

When people see her they say, "Oh, wowie!"

She's the cutest doggie in Africa.

Her cuteness is real; It's not a tricka.

Nala resting on the grasses for my fence. 

From November 8 to 14 I went to a natural medicine training in Dedza.  This is the training center where it was held.

fig leaf tea and artemesia tea

Medicinal tinctures, oils, and ointments!



Fellow PCV, Carolyn, is excited about tumeric. :)

Ginger



Thank god for coffee!

October

This is Garrett, a Peace Corps Malawi 2010 EducationVolunteer, sitting on one of his kitchen tables.  He lives in a district called Thyolo in the far south.  I visited him in early October and taught his students about responsibility in sexual decision making.

Garrett's living room

Thyolo tea estate

Tea pickers in Thyolo



This is Gibran, a Peace Corps 2011 Health Volunteer.  I visited him in the district of Zomba, which is in the southern region.  This is a bridge in the Zomba botanical gardens.

Gibran's apartment complex in Zomba.  He's in the last unit on the end.  It's two stories and very nice.

Zomba botanical gardens

Zomba

Through the generous donation of friends, family and a spa company, the borehole at the primary school in my village is now functional!

primary school children using the repaired borehole